IALK5 orf W^ApMOLPG 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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Shelly 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 



THE AET OF KNOWING CHAEACTEE THEOUGH 

HANDWEITING 



BY 



c,0^- 




H. L. E. and M. L. E. 




' 





To be a well-favored man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature. 

Shakespeare 



BOSTON 
LEE AND SHEPABD PUBLISHERS 

10 MIIiK STREET 



1892 






Copyright, 1892, by Lee and Shepard 
All Rights Reserved 



Talks on Graphology 



Typography and Electrotyping by 
C. J. Peters & Son, Boston 






CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Introductory . 1 

II. Graphology as a Science ........ 15 

III. Beading the Signs 29 

IV. Dissection and Analysis 39 

V. Analysis of a Letter 85 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

THE ART OF KNOWING CHARACTER THROUGH HANDWRITING 



CHAPTER I 

INTRODUCTORY 

" And do you mean to say that if I write you a few lines, you will 
look carefully at them, draw inferences, form conclusions, and then 
proceed to tell me facts about myself ? — my habits of thought and 
action, my disposition, my individual characteristics ? " How many 
times within the past six months has that question been put to us ! 
And we, who are but two humble followers of Jean Hippolyte Michon, 



2 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

having read his books and tested his methods, answer simply, ** Yes : if 
you will now write a few lines in ink, on unruled paper, and sign your 
name, we can tell you something ; if you will give us a letter, written 
freely and frankly to an intimate friend, we can tell you much ; if you 
will let us see three or four letters, sent at different periods in your 
life, we can tell you more about yourself than you could or would 
tell us." 

" But that wouldn't be fair ! I write a miserable hand : the capitals 
are not gracefully formed, the lines are uneven, the letters are irregu- 
lar ; yet, I'm not so bad as all that ! " 

" You mistake Graphology," we reply : a the chirography of Fenelon, 
Racine, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Browning, is nobly beautiful, 
although in each case it is not pretty to look at." 

."But I never write twice alike." — "That in itself is a sign of 
moods, of mobility, of lack of fixedness ; natures which are calm, cold, 
and unvarying have a handwriting that shows little change." 



INTRODUCTORY 3 

" But this does not stand to reason : we write as we learned to write. 
If we studied the ' angular hand/ we write in this fashion : — 





Plate 1. 



whereas, if we were taught from curved models, our script is this : — 




Plate 2. 



" But do we write as we learned to write ? " At one fashionable 
school in New York, a number of young ladies were graduated from 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 



the writing-class, and received their diplomas. One of these at that 
time wrote as this address indicates : — 





Plate 3. 



Five years subsequent to this her hand had changed as below 




^L^OyU j^ZyU^^^C^ 



Plate 4. 



And here is a specimen of her writing as it appears to-day : — 






Plate 5. 



INTRODUCTORY 5 

To our certain knowledge she has not taken a lesson in writing, nor 
opened a copy-book, since she left school. You know of a hand that 
has not varied in ten years ? That is a pity. One who shows no 
change in character as he grows older is a sad sight. In these instances 
at the least the curves have displaced some of the angles in the letters ; 
and Graphology declares that even this indicates some growing dif- 
ferences. If we change, the graphic signs of alteration are always to 
be found. 

"Does the handwriting grow prettier and more graceful as we 
grow nobler?" Perhaps; perhaps not; but the fresh signs will be 
there. As we said before, mere prettiness has no virtue or merit in 
Graphology as a science. " As a science ! Do you call Graphology a 
science?" Yes, we do: it reveals itself as a science; read on, study, 
compare, and in proper time you cannot but be convinced that there is 
more scientific method in it than you now believe. Farther on we shall 
arrive at the philosophical reasons, illustrations, and proofs, as found in 



6 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

the " Systeme de Graphologie " of M. Michon, to whom we have already 
referred. 

If there were no other proofs, it is reasonable to think that even 
minute traits of character might stand revealed in the habitual tracing 
of a line. But, for the present exercise, look at some quite conspicuous 
national peculiarities as shown by the popular pen. Handwriting is 
made by races. You can tell almost at once what is foreign and what 
is home-born ; the rule is easily illustrated : such a people — such a chirog- 
raphy. Races that are gentle, impressionable, artistic, indolent, have 
naturally their scriptural movement in soft and graceful curves. On 
the other hand, those races which are more hardy, rigid, industrious, or 
phlegmatic, have their scriptural movement in angles, sometimes almost 
rudely accentuated. Take, for example, the Italians, and contrast them 
in this respect with the Germans. Put the writing of Cavour, as shown 
in plate 6, alongside of that of Bismarck which follows : — 



INTRODUCTORY 



ioJMUaJ doJ 




a^m -m^u/tm/ 




Plate 7. 



Here you see genius in two men belonging to two races. 

Further : every one knows at a glance the " English Angular Hand." 
It has become so fashionable that many of our schools send to London 
for copy-books. Is it not a portrait of the English national traits ? 



8 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 



Let us make a slight study of them to find their influence on that 
thing so delicate, so fine, so intimate, so personal, that we name it " the 
hand." 

The English chirography has for its dominating characteristic a 
prodigality of angles. As the character of the English nation has 
more and more bent towards all that is positive, angular, practical, and 
almost mathematical in its methods, so has the angle, right or acute, 
accumulated in the national hand. 

After this graphic sign, which always bespeaks firmness, rigidity, 
and severity, comes the sign of determination, — terminals like a 
club : see the ys ; see the ps in happy : — 

/ Plate 8. ' 



INTRODUCTORY 9 

These belong to men of resolution, men who are able to will, and to 
carry out to the smallest detail any purpose once formed. 

The next graphic sign in this writing is that of prudence. The 
English are observant. They are constantly making moral experiments, 
and so learning experience. But experience teaches them how easy it 
is to be deceived ; hence they become guarded and defiant, whereupon 
the short dash appears, scattered profusely between phrases. Is not 
this generally to be found in their writing, even in letters written by 
English women ? Usually, also, the English hand has the sign of 
candor : few tapering words are to be found. The Englishman is not 
afraid to be outspoken. 

Finally, this hand shows little or no susceptibility or sensitivity ; the 
letters slant but very slightly. In that strong race it is the brain that 
governs. Of course it is hardly necessary to say that no fixed rule 
obtains in such a case. Not all English men and women write alike ; 
the variations of individual temperament are to be expected. Only we 



10 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

shall see that when the handwriting contains none of the signs enumer- 
ated above, the writer certainly will be found to possess few of the 
national characteristics of the English people. 

And so, if there were space for the exercise just now, we might dis- 
sect the French, German, and Italian handwriting, as well as our own ; 
although Americans, perhaps, are too young a people to claim a typical 
chirography. We can here, however, only suggest this interesting 
study, leaving our readers to pursue it at their own pleasure. 

In our next paper will be found an abridged translation of a single, 
and really very fine, chapter of one of Michon's books. But here we 
may as well state that the most convincing proof of the verity of this 
science will be secured from one's personal application of it. A careful 
observation is safer than any mere process of argumentation. Take 
letters of your own ; study them in the light of the rules we propose to 
give. Use a magnifying glass ; no good work in Graphology can be 
done without such a help : examine your own handwriting. Observe a 



INTRODUCTORY 11 

few carefully chosen signs, and compare them as to their intensity, as 
directions will be given later on. Remember that one graphic sign 
never destroys another, even when it seems to act upon it. 

In our own characters there are warring elements. Our well-being 
and well-living depend on the balance of power, the domination of the 
good over the bad. . You may find secretiveness and dissimulation 
indicated : see if there are signs of frankness and honesty to control 
the tendency. Note which are the stronger. You may find melan- 
choly and depression of spirits strongly marked : look for the sign of a 
vigorous will-power there also, encouraging you to fight your way to 
higher ground. Study yourself : it is worth while. Our friends never 
tell us quite the truth : why should they ? Should we love them 
better if they threw no kindly cloak over our shortcomings ? Nosce te 
ipsum :. it is for each man to know himself. Your handwriting will 
tell you your faults, quite possibly with even brutal honesty. Then 
you can correct them ; and the writing will, in due time, show you that 



12 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

you have done a new deed of self-help in all that promises for a fresh 
future. 

Furthermore, here is a hint of the way in which you can become 
better acquainted with some of your friends. Study their letters with 
critical care. Do you find falsity, jealousy, egotism ? Consider such 
indications kindly but prudently, in case the great crisis of life or 
experience depend upon them. Withhold your trust for a little if the 
signs are overpowering. Do you find sincerity and constancy ? Give 
an affectionate confidence without hesitation, and be thankful. That 
has always been the way in which you have searched' their looks and 
speech and actions : why should you not search the letters they write 
you? 

In the training of children could there be a greater help to a mother 
or a teacher than the perfect understanding of the children under her 
care ? A lady showed to a graphologist the handwriting of her little 
son. "What do you find there?" she asked, seeing him repress an 



INTRODUCTORY 13 

exclamation of surprise. " Madame/' he replied, "you may never fear 
to trust him with his father's fortune: he will not squander it." — 
"No, I should think not!" exclaimed the mother. " He is a little 
miser." 

In business what a safeguard to men of affairs ! For even in the 
days of typewriting like ours, much is revealed in the signing of one's 
checks. If this science be shown to be intelligible and trustworthy, 
there will be singular help in it. He is strong who can judge character, 
penetrate instincts, and discover the passions of the men he has to deal 
with in the intricacies and exposures of business life. 

And, beyond all this, there might be assistance in the processes of 
our law-courts. A man is accused of base wickedness : if his hand- 
writing should show brutality, dishonesty, vile passions, and a lack of 
all good impulses, would it not be safe to conclude the verdict of 
"guilty" a just one, if decided upon by the jury ? On the other hand, 
if his writing indicated a life of purity, self-abnegation, uprightness, and 



14 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

virtue, would it not be fair to weigh the evidence once again, for fear of 
a possible and, in the end, a remediless mistake ? 

If Graphology, then, is at all philosophical, and if it can be relied 
upon for such exigencies, of what untold value must this science be to 
those who wish to read and understand their fellow-men. 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 15 



CHAPTER II 

GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 

Among observers of human nature it has come to be a recognized 
truth that every one manifests in external signs his inmost personality, 
frequently while quite unaware of his self-betrayal. A man snows by 
his walk, by his gestures, by his habits of dress, his real character. The 
individuality of the person is so strong that it colors all that he does. 

A trained ear listening to music will recognize at once a Mozart 
Overture, a Beethoven Symphony, or a Wagner Opera, by the utter un- 
likeness of each to the work of another composer. A connoisseur in 
painting will tell at a glance a Schreyer from a Daubigny, or a Raphael 
from a copy made by one of the master's own pupils, If a hundred 



16 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

artists, all studying under the same teacher, draw from the same model, 
and if all these copies resemble the original most strikingly, neverthe- 
less will each one have a character peculiar to itself, a touch or a color, 
ing that will distinguish it from the others. 

Since this is true in painting, how much more striking is it in 
writing, where the delicate mechanism of the fingers responds so subtly 
and so swiftly to the spirit directing it. 

The philosophy of Graphology, as a manifestation of the soul by 
means of written signs, rests on the great fact of the intimate relation 
existing between every sign that emanates from the personality and 
the soul itself, which is the substance of this personality. Who can 
doubt that a word is the swift translation of a thought ? And is not 
every handwriting a translation equally subtle and instantaneous ? 

The beloved friend a hundred miles away who receives those char- 
acters that express to her so many affectionate thoughts, hears them 
with the eye, just as though distance were annihilated and the writer 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 17 

suddenly appearing spoke with his lips the words represented by the 
pen. These are simple but indisputable facts. Writing has been 
called "the art of speaking to the eyes,' 1 and this expression is strictly 
correct. 

Since, then, there is such an intimate relation between the thought 
and the handwriting that the latter disappears, in reality, and is no 
longer anything more than a sign beneath which the living thought 
reaches instantly another thought that perceives it. why should there 
not be an equally intimate relation between the form of this writing 
and the intellectual and moral traits of the individual behind it ? 

If we write ten lines rapidly under the influence of a profound grief 
or a great love, are we likely to be scrupulously careful as to the form 
we give to the letters ? Does the lightning calculator who sums up 
figures with startling rapidity, think of the various arithmetical pro- 
cesses through which his studies have led him ? The hand that writes, 
as well as the pen that calculates, does a purely intellectual action. 



18 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 



When the child has learned to write, or the beginner in arithmetic has 
studied the rules, he has acquired an art. 

But when he has had long practice, and has learned to write or to 
calculate with the mental activity that outstrips the quickest pen, the 
mechanical process ceases to be of importance : it is the soul that writes, 
the brain that calculates. It is just so with the visible form given to a 
word in any language. It becomes finally an automatic act, so that the 
pen perpetually makes one letter in place of another, quite uncon- 
sciously. For example, many persons write boubou for bonbon — 
the n assuming the form of u. See below the n in Band of Hope. 
Others use a y for a g, as in Browning. 



Plate 8B. 



n*-£#i4> /br*K/ 



Plate 9. 



O^C^tCj 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 19 

We therefore reach this conclusion, that after long habit of writing 
or speaking, it is the mind that writes or speaks the sound in the word, 
the letter in the writing being merely a sign employed to express the 
thought. 

A second fact of great importance is that there are as many vari- 
eties of handwriting as of character. In searching through the West- 
ern world, including America, peopled by Europeans, one is struck 
by the invariability of this rule, even in those languages whose alphabet 
is composed of letters like those we print, — placed side by side with- 
out touching, such as the Arabic or the Hebrew. The same differences 
are to be seen : individuality still asserts itself. The tall, stately char- 
acters attributed to Mahomet, the delicate, airy lines of Abd-el-Kader, 
the irregular, heavy writing of the fierce Ali Pacha of Janina, do not 
resemble each other in the least respect. 

Now, this fact has great value if we remember that we have all 
commenced to write according to models closely resembling each other. 



20 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

What the teachers of writing call " copy-books " have been the general 
type by which generations of children have formed their hands. The 
teachers have watched with utmost care to obtain uniformity in all 
these writings : they have taught the evenness of the letters, their 
height, their harmonious proportions, and on leaving school we are 
considered to have acquired an art called calligraphy. 

If we examine work of this sort it is easy to see that it is purely 
mechanical. The object of the teacher has been, not to give the pupil 
ideas to express, but simply forms that will 'be applicable later on to all 
sorts of ideas. But, although one can read with accuracy the character 
of an Arab or a Jew by a few lines of his writing, it is impossible to 
decipher anything in a page written exactly according to the rules of 
calligraphy. The Graphologist is as dumb before such a task as he 
would be before a printed page. The reason is obvious. This hand has 
only reproduced fixed, unchanging forms, and the brain of the writer 
has had but one thought : to make the letters as beautiful as possible. 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 21 

But there is still another phenomenon. From the day when the 
child, the youth, even the man who has taken lessons in penmanship, 
enters into active life, when he wishes to express rapidly and without 
constraint the thoughts, the affections, he desires to communicate to 
others, he instinctively abandons art, and begins to form an individual 
hand. Sometimes the new writing becomes angular, sometimes 
rounded ; again it assumes a vertical position, or slopes decidedly. Oc- 
casionally the final lines of words may tend to an extreme slenderness, 
or, on the contrary, they may become heavily shaded and square in 
outline. 

What has happened to the writer ? Simply this : the hand has 
ceased to labor at calligraphy, the letters have become as familiar to the 
pen as the sounds of the language to his ear after he learned to speak. 
Since infancy he has not concerned himself with the sounds. Now 
when he writes he does not concern himself with the letters. They be- 
come for him like fixed sounds to the eye. This remarkable fact is best 



22 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

expressed in this formula : the handwriting becomes the visible effect 
of the idea, and consequently the graphic signs change when the mind 
changes. 

Let us take for an example the sign of extravagance. A person 
prodigal in expenditures does not value money. The " base metal " is 
for him merely an easy and delightful agent for satisfying his taste or 
caprices. Consequently, when he is writing he spreads his words so far 
apart on the paper that two or three will frequently fill an entire line : 
he leaves a broad margin ; he makes long flourishes at the end of words ; 
he is as lavish with the ink as he is with the bank account of his 
father. But if, by one of those changes that occur so often in life, the 
young man becomes satiated with pleasure, or his father's death sud- 
denly places him in control of a fortune, he begins to realize the advan- 
tages of a sober manner of living and an economical use of his property. 
The immediate result will be an instinctive modification of his writing. 

Having become systematic and economical, like his parent, he will 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 23 

begin to show a more regular, compact hand. If the father was not a 
lover of art, and the son, on the contrary, has strong artistic tastes, his 
writing will retain the sign of these tastes ; if he is impressionable and 
tender-hearted, while his father had a cold nature, he will still show the 
signs of sensitivity in his writing. All that remains unchanged in him- 
self remains so in his writing ; but in a short time the signs of extrava- 
gance, which were so plain, will have disappeared entirely. 

We have here a proof that cannot be questioned, as it is based on a 
fact established by reason and by experience. If the spendthrift, after 
having become economical, should still retain his writing full of signs 
of extravagance, the theory of graphology would be radically wrong, since 
the sign would denote a passion after it had ceased to exist in the 
writer. The law of the variability of signs is a demonstration of the 
philosophic truth of the system. 

Let us take another example in a totally different direction. 

Here is a young girl whose nature is singularly open and frank. 



24 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

Her candor shows itself in her writing almost as much as that of 
children is apt to do. Nearly all her words increase in size toward the 
end, a habit her teacher has labored to correct, as it detracts from the 
beauty of the chirography. When this young girl enters society, and 
begins to find out that she has a role to play, and is expected to shine 
in it by her beauty and wit, she loses the maidenly freshness and candor 
which had been so conspicuous in her character, and revealed them- 
selves so plainly in her writing. By slow degrees she begins to conceal 
her feelings, to appear different from what she really is ; and here the 
graphic sign reflects each mental change. At first the words increasing 
in size grow fewer, here and there one remains as a witness to her 
native frankness ; but when the habits of diplomatic self-control and 
even of dissimulation become dominant in her nature, the writing will 
be the reverse of the former type. Words that taper to a point, the 
sign of diplomacy, will replace the words increasing in size that in- 
dicated candor. This change will have occurred without the conscious- 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 25 

ness of the writer : nothing in it will be the result of a plan ; it will be 
strictly involuntary. 

These examples might be extended indefinitely. A nature that is 
growing hard and selfish will lose the graceful and beautiful slope of 
the letters, sign of a generous, loving heart, and will assume the stiff, 
vertical lines peculiar to those in whom the soul is becoming 
atrophied. 

We have therefore established the accuracy of a double law : the 
change in the signs of a handwriting when changes are taking place in 
the intellectual or moral nature of the person, and the fixity of these 
same signs as long as the mind remains unaltered in its instincts and 
its habits. 

There are some handwritings in which the form of the letters is so 
simple, clear, and orderly, that one feels that they must have been the work 
of a well-balanced, clear-headed person whose life is almost monotonous 
in its regularity. Such are the signatures of many magistrates, ac- 



26 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

customed for years to weigh opposing testimonies in the balance, and 
pronounce impartial judgment. 

One need not be a graphologist to admire the dignity and simplicity 
of such writing, revealing a character of mingled strength and honesty. 
Such handwritings possess in a remarkable degree the quality of un- 
changeableness. They may be more or less hurried, the pen may be 
good or bad, the height of the letters will sometimes be greater under 
the influence of a temporary impulse, but the general effect is always 
the same ; the dignified reserve of the character still shows in every line ; 
and hundreds of letters written by such men seem as if they might 
have been produced by some mechanical process, so closely do they 
resemble each other. 

If, on the contrary, we take a hand abounding in long flourishes, in 
exaggerated strokes above or below the line, in immense curves that 
soar above the level like captive balloons, we find that we are dealing 
with an impetuous, undisciplined nature, an imagination that threatens 



GRAPHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 27 

to overcome all restraint and lead to wild vagaries, and eventually to 
mania. In our collection of autographs there are some specimens 
of which we could predict with certainty that the writer will die 
insane. 

It is a fact that the writing of such unbalanced persons is as un- 
changing in its graphic signs as is that of the calm, clear minds. The 
same imperious need oi self-expression forces the one to reveal his 
disordered intellect, that in the opposite case makes us admire the 
dignified self-restraint. 

A wide experience in the analysis of entirely unknown handwritings 
has only served to confirm the truth of these general principles. If the 
theory of Graphology were unreliable, it is true that one might some- 
times by chance hit, in a character, upon some generalities that would 
fit correctly, though out of a hundred analyses there would be at least 
ninety greatly at fault. Before long, however, public opinion would 
decide that graphology had promised what it could not perform, and 



28 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

was a method without scientific basis, resting only on conjecture or 
coincidence. 

Exactly the reverse is the case. Of one hundred letters sent to the 
graphologist to acknowledge the receipt of his analysis, each one has 
the same sentence as if stereotyped, " The analysis you give me is abso- 
lutely correct : my most intimate friends are astonished at its precision." 

A graphological diagnosis reflects the soul just as faithfully and 
minutely as a photograph reproduces the face. In this science there 
are none of the subterfuges so often practised in phrenology and kindred 
arts. Instead of seeking to discover by hints or outside aids the true 
character of a person, the graphologist asks for no assistance from 
friends of the individual ; on the contrary, he desires to know nothing 
but what is contained in the writing. Just as a naturalist on seeing 
the bone of an animal is able to construct the entire skeleton, and 
classify it in its proper species, so the graphologist from a few lines of 
writing will picture the inmost soul of a human being. 



READING THE SIGNS 29 



CHAPTER III 

READING THE SIGNS 

In the preceding chapter we stated the philosophical argument in 
support of graphology as a science. Let us now proceed to examine 
some of the principal signs to be found in handwriting. 

The system would sink into puerility if it pretended to indicate by 
some special sign every shade of mental condition. It would become 
an endless series of theories ; for there are many different degrees in the 
same feeling or state of being, and the terms descriptive of these de- 
grees are numerous in proportion as the language is rich and flexible. 
The majority of Indo-European tongues are rich in synonymes ; they 
have many words that express very nearly the same idea. It is evident 



30 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

that we ought not to demand of graphology a special sign for each of 
these synonymes, though it frequently happens that we can detect a con- 
siderable number of degrees by studying the intensity of the signs and 
their complexity. 

Take, for example, the group of terms signifying courage. There are 
many different shades, — courage, vigor, firmness, forcefulness, will, 
energy, bravery, manliness. Several of those words express almost an 
identical idea. Forcefulness, courage, and will are like characteristics. 
Energetic persons have in themselves a constant development of force; 
their will is strong. Vigor, firmness, and manliness are all closely 
related traits. 

In classifying the group of moderation we have calmness, modera- 
tion, and self-control, three expressions that are almost ,the same. Men 
who are calm are masters of their movements ; moderate people main- 
tain in everything a golden mean ; self-controlled people always govern 
themselves. The graphic sign — the pen's making no unnecessary 



W I III I in 



READING THE SIGNS 



31 



motions in forming the letters — applies to all three degrees, and one 
can only distinguish these degrees by the intensity of the sign that rep- 
resents them. In truth, however, there will be one kind of sign, be- 
cause the mental quality exemplified is but one and the same. 

These examples will suffice to prove that the graphological sign to 
be true must be generic, like the idea it represents, and that a system 
that would pretend to create a special sign for every shade of feeling 
w^ould be radically false. 

In order to distinguish different degrees, we have a logical and 
natural method of procedure. 1st, we observe the intensity of the sign, 
and 2d, the combination of one sign with another ; that is, the complex 
sign. In treating of the intensity of the sign we find three well-de- 
fined degrees : 1st, the sign simply indicated ; 2d, the sign strongly 
marked ; 3d, the sign excessively developed, intense. We have also, 
1st, the sign occurring but seldom ; 2d, the sign frequently repeated. 

The sign may be often repeated, but have no intensity. It may 



32 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

occur seldom, but be so sharply defined in its expression that it denotes 
utmost intensity. If it only appears occasionally, although clearly in- 
dicated, it does not possess in analysis the value of a sign that is per- 
petually recurring, almost to affectation. 

The complex sign, like the simple one, has many degrees of intensity. 
Take, for example, jealousy. There is not in graphology any one 
sign that denotes jealousy, as there is one for dissimulation and another 
for frankness. But a jealous person is of necessity passionate : he 
loves no one so well as himself, and desires exclusive possession of all 
that he loves. From a psychological standpoint jealousy is a complex 
passion : a jealous nature is egotistic and passionate ; it loves, but will 
not divide the object of its affections. Graphologically the writing will 
show passion and power of loving, but at the same time the self-centred 
personality — egotism. We shall have, therefore, in graphology : — 

The siom of passion. ) ,-, , • -, 

rpi -° r r , • > = the complex sign : jealousy. 

lhe sign ot egotism, j r . & j j 



READING THE SIGNS 33 

We have seen that a sign may be slightly, considerably, or intensely 
indicated. These three easily recognized degrees will give us three 
well-defined grades of character. 

Let us now take the sign of imagination : an exaggerated move- 
ment of the pen above or below the line. As the multiplicity and ex- 
cessive height of exclamation points are the graphological signs of 
enthusiasm, and as a very sloping writing indicates passion, we have 
the complex sign : — 

Imagination. 1 

Enthusiasm. V — very enthusiastic nature. 

Passion. J 

The theory of the complex sign is, therefore, entirely logical, and it 
opens a vast horizon for the new science. 

The graphological sign is exact. It rests on a physiological law, 
and upon experience. Wherever it is found clearly indicated, it shows 
plainly the state of feeling it represents. 



34 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

For example, the returning curve (to be shown in plates farther on) 
which we will call "egotistic curl " reveals the personality, — the pref- 
erence for self before others. The mind returns upon itself, converges, 
seeks the centre ; and if it attaches itself, does so like the leech, for 
what it can get. The pen follows the same movement ; it returns upon 
the letters as does a claw that curves inward, when it has seized its 
prey. 

By a law equally logical and of constant application, a writing in 
which there are no " egotistic curls " gives us the negative sign, and in- 
dicates the absence of egotistic personality, the soul forgets itself in 
thoughtf ulness for others. 

We find, then, this law : The positive sign speaks clearly of a state 
or feeling. The negative sign — absence of the positive one — speaks 
with equal clearness of the opposite condition of sentiment. 

Let us take another example : Capital letters that are harmoniously 
proportioned, and whose form is simple and graceful, indicate a lofty 



READING THE SIGNS 35 

mind, literary tastes, or appreciation of beauty. This is the positive 
sign. 

Capitals that are awkward, ^proportioned, inharmonious, indicate 
a lack of mental dignity, absence of literary or other refined tastes, and 
vulgarity of mind. This is the negative sign. 

Still another example illustrates this law : Every form that is 
affected, unnatural, — a mere flourish of the pen, — denotes pretension, 
a desire to produce an effect, or to be conspicuous. Every form entirely 
plain and unaffected denotes simplicity of mind, and absence of coquetry 
or pretension. 

This is one of the cardinal rules in graphology : A positive sign 
that is lacking, indicates the negative sign that is opposed to it. 

Resultants — the word explains itself — are the revelations of char- 
acter made by combining a series of simple or complex signs. Every 
graphological sign, taken singly, has its fixed value, and shows with ex- 
actness the faculty, instinct, or nature of which it is the manifestation. 



3fi TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

Two or three simple or complex signs, as we have shown under the 
heading Enthusiasm, indicate a quality with clearness and accuracy 
equal to that of one simple sign. Take : — 

magma ion. i ^ ^ logically and araphologically an exceed- 

Enthusiasm. > . -. , , ° . /. & r & J 

-n • mglv enthusiastic nature, 

rassion. J & ^ 

But this exceedingly enthusiastic nature may have the sign of high 
appreciation of art. We have then a fine resultant : great artistic en- 
thusiasm. 

Going a step farther, if to the enthusiastic love of art there joins 
itself the sign of a spiritual nature, lofty aspirations, and no sensuality, 
we have 

n j. -I £ / I Resultant: Artistic talent highly developed and 

Spiritual nature. J ^ 

This would be an artist of the class of Fra Angelico, a painter of 
the ideal, the mystic. 



READING THE SIGNS 37 

If, on the contrary, we find : — 

n , -. £ I Resultant : Artistic ability highly developed, re- 

Great love ot art. > -, • • ... J , & , J .-, f • i 

q y, J producing in painting or sculpture the physical, 

as did Rubens the great colorist, who was a sensual painter. 

The law of resultants is based on this psychological fact, that one 
characteristic reacts on another. It does not destroy it, but gives it a 
special shade or quality. Each graphological sign is therefore influenced 
by other graphological signs. 

Again, we have before us. let us suppose, a very logical nature, 
cold in its affections, clear in judgment, firm in will, and so economical 
as to approach avarice. It is evident that if we have the same signs, 
but also the sign of generosity even to prodigality, we have another 
resultant, and a very remarkable one ; for, although there is a difference 
of only one sign, the two personalities which have so many points of 
resemblance yet have a radical difference, which, from a business stand- 



38 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

point, would rank the first nature above the second, but as regards no- 
bility of mind and grandeur of character, would place the second above 
the first. 

Every writing is a marvellous synthesis like the mind, be it what it 
may, that inspired it. The intellectual and moral portrait resulting 
from an analysis of graphological signs should be as complete in its 
work of reconstruction as it was in its dissection and analysis. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 39 



CHAPTER IV 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



In these articles we do not even pretend to treat our subject ex- 
haustively. It would be impossible, within present limits. To write of 
all the little shades of meaning to be found in even a page of written 
matter would fill volumes. We can here merely point to certain plainly 
visible signs, give their meaning, and leave the reader to learn the rest 
through the study of his ownself and of his friends through his and 
their handwriting. No sooner is attention drawn to this science than 
new points show themselves constantly, perfectly clear to the under- 
standing. 

To make a complete analysis of any person, spiritually, there are 



40 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

eight separate divisions to be considered : I. Faculties, II. Instincts, 
III. Nature, IV. Character, V. Spirit, VI. Aptitudes, VII. Tastes, VIII. 
Passions. Let us take up each in its turn. 

I. Faculties. — Intellectual Manifestations. 

In classifying handwriting intellectually, there are three clearly 
defined classes : — 

Those wholly intuitive. 

Those partly intuitive, partly deductive. 

Those wholly deductive. 

Study well the following three Plates : — 

( Ch aT ch u h n * /v <L) 

Plate 10. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



41 



Cj ytsi cxst^ 



*^~jAsC<Ls /l? O^Xs 



Plate 11. 



Plate 8B. 

As a type, 10 gives us the sign of purely intuitive faculties : the 
mind reaches conclusions by instinct, without reasoning. 11 gives an 
equilibrium of deductive as well as intuitive faculties : the mind reasons 
and yet possesses quick intuitions. 8 B gives us pure deductivity : the 
mind invariably reasons, and then forms conclusions. 

In examining hundreds of manuscripts this sign has never failed : 
I. Persons whose faculties are purely intuitive instinctively do not 
connect their letters at their base. II. Those whose faculties are de- 
ductive as well as intuitive show in their writing many connected as 



42 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

well as disconnected letters. And III., those whose faculties are purely 
deductive connect all their letters; often even words being linked 
to other words. 

/. Class, Faculties. — Power of Affections, Sensitivity, Susceptibility, 

Tenderness. 
To love is to give of one's self. The movement by which the soul 
gives itself, bends itself, is logically the inclined stroke. The writing 
belonging to natures that are sensitive, impressionable, and tender- 
hearted, slopes. The slant of the letters becomes more and more marked 
just in proportion as the nature is sensitive, susceptible to impressions, 
and tender-hearted. The more vertically the letters stand, the less does 
sensitivity rule. See in Plate 12 the writing of a sensitive girl : — 

JPIate 12. 




DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 43 

And compare it with the cold, vertical letters of the financier in 
Plate 13 : — 







Plate 13. 



The student must judge carefully of this sign ; some hands bend 
even more than in Plate 12, some even less than in Plate 13. With 
practice, however, one can judge with incredible exactness of the value 
of the sign. There is one degree quite curious and interesting to study ; 
i.e., a governed sensitivity, susceptibility, and mildness of disposition — 



44 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

natures wherein there is constant war between strength of will and 
tenderness of heart. This type is exemplified in Plate 14, in which you 
will see letters that are almost vertical alongside of other letters that 
are quite slanting : — 






Plate 14. 



The reader must constantly remind himself that as yet we are con- 
sidering only simple signs, and are isolating them from others that might, 
added to them, change their meaning. In this matter of sensitiveness, 
for instance, a writing may betray feminine sensitivity : it may bend 
till the sign denote passionate tenderness and devotion ; yet, if the 
writing betrays at the same time the graphic sign of great strength of 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 45 

resolution and will, the writer in his inner nature will be tender-hearted 
and capable of passionate devotion; but with the counter-balance of 
resolution and will-power he will not be a frail bark beaten about by 
the waves, but rather a well-manned ship with a strong hand at the 
wheel to keep her clear of whirlpools. 

/. Faculties. — The Will. 

There are many kinds and degrees of wills. There are the strong 
wills and the feeble wills, as well as the despotic, obstinate, and per- 
severing wills. 

It is largely the will that makes human personality. It is the force 
that governs ; and when it governs well, the free being goes steadily and 
proudly on his way. 

A study of handwriting leads us to the conclusion that the cross- 
stroke, more or less horizontal, is the graphic sign of the will. Notice 
Plate 15 : — 



46 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

Plate 15. 

The t's are crossed so lightly, with so slender a line, one can scarcely 
see it. Compare Plate 16 : — 

Plate 16. 

In the underlining and crossing of the fs what heavy bars.. 

We have here two widely opposed manifestations of the human will. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 47 

All weak wills bar lightly their small fs. The entire absence of them, 
where cross-strokes are needed, as a general thing is the sign of an en- 
tire lack of will-force. Men of strong determination and resolution 
also affect clubs at the ends of their letters. See the g in coming, in 
Plate 16. Men of perseverance write in straight lines, each word seem- 
ing a little straight, inflexible bar. Plate 17 is the writing of a very 
persevering woman : — 







Plate 17. 



48 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

The writing of headstrong people shows that characteristic in the 
acute angles at the base of the letters. 

Obstinacy is of several degrees : the backward crossing of £s shows 
this trait. See Plate 18 : — 

Plate 18. 

The extent to which obstinacy is carried is shown in the movement, 
more or less angular, of the return stroke. 

Tenacity of will is shown by a little crook : — 

Plate 19. 




DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 49 

Notice the hook at the end of the r in our, and at the beginning and 
end of the crossings of the £'s. 

The graphic signs of obstinacy, resolution, and tenacity, when found 
together in the same hand give the will in its strongest manifestations. 
See the signature of Bonaparte, written at Toulon during the siege : 
the two crooks at the end, and the cross-bar of the t, mark his tenacious 
will : — 




UtMetf) QAJfe 



Plate 20. 



Opinionatedness has a very noticeable sign. Opinionated persons 
cross their £s with a downward stroke like a flung lance. Plate 21 



O^^ >»v<-^*_ c/^o'ffl^*' 



Plate 21. 



50 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

is the signature of a little girl of seven who is incredibly opinionated. 
Here, again, is the sign in a man's writing : — 



^e^^^ 






Plate 22. 

A weak will is shown in many ways. People in delicate health, 
adolescent, without strength of purpose, make only light cross- 
marks : their writing is full of fine, irregular curves ; the pen hesitates, 
there are no angles at the base of small letters ; the hand shows inde- 
cision, lack of resolution, laxity, feebleness, no power of determina- 
tion, laziness. Out of the many autographs we have seen of 
celebrated personages, — leaders, soldiers, and authors, — not one have 
we found possessing the graphic signs in Plate 23 : — 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 51 



(J 'WvzJtd 1U'A& ^ 



d<yyzytpO 



Plate 23. 

Notice the weak, irregular curves, the light crossings, the wavy lines and 
entire absence of crooks. 

77. Instincts. — Native Forces. 
Character modifies itself. Faculties grow. Natural, inborn in- 
stincts change little. Bad instincts, however, do not always mean bad 
nature. One may resist instincts and conquer them, or one may allow 
them to spoil a good nature. We shall not take up " preservation of 
life,"or other instincts that belong purely to physical life. With those 
we have nothing to do. They are shared by the whole human race. 
Let us study first open-heartedness and " good nature." 



52 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

There are five groups to be considered under this heading. They 
are : Kindness, Sweetness of Disposition, Gratitude, Veneration, Love. 



JZtX^t^ c&^t ' <f 










J 




<^x^6Le^ZS 



Plate 24. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



53 



The graphic sign is easily to be known, even though complex. Look 
first for writing that slants, meaning tenderness of heart, and add to 
that, many curves, the sign of gentleness of soul. One might also add 
the absence of avaricious and egotistic signs, since misers are seldom 



benign, 




i<? «/^^^^ ^^ 






Ate^f' 





U^^i 



/ttJl 



Plate 25. 



Plate 24 typifies well a hand that contains a prodigality of good in- 
stincts. The writing slants considerably ; it is full of curves ; the hand 
refused to make an n with an angle, and formed a u instead, always 



54 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

a mark of sweetness of disposition. Compare Plate 24 with Plate 
25. 

Could there be a clearer graphological contrast ? 

II Instincts. — Economy, Parsimony. 
If we follow out our method of observation we soon discover, in com- 
paring a hundred handwritings of very economical people with a hundred 
other hands belonging to men of prodigal instincts, that the economical 
ones will brusquely cut short the final strokes of their small letters, will 
write as many words as possible on each line, and as many lines as 
possible on each page. Acquisitive people detest margins, avoid divid- 
ing their words at the end of lines, and form letters that require as little 
ink as possible. On the contrary, in the writing of people who are 
generous, open-handed, lavish, and extravagant, will be found long 
" finals," large spaces, words spreading all over the page. One can 
never mistake these signs. Compare the two Plates following : — 




DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 55 

* ^ Plate 26. 

26 is the writing of a miser, 27 of a foolishly extravagant spend- 
thrift. 

Avarice is, of course, economy in an intense form. Add to the 
above sign of economy the crook alluded to under the heading " Te- 
nacity," and you will have as a resultant, sordid avarice. 



56 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 






Plate 27. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 57 

Generosity has for its always truthful sign long final strokes. Plate 
27 is, as we have said, the chirography of a spendthrift, but she is not 






tW-C GS 






Plate 28. 

generous. Notice the finals how closely they are clipped off. In Plate 
28 we have economy with generosity. The two types should never be 
confounded. 

II. Instincts. — Defiance, Caution. 

Defiant people are always on their guard. It is not only in these 
days we find the graphic signs of defiance. Plate 29 gives the fac- 
simile of an antique Greek letter written on papyrus : — 



58 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 







7 'v trjr]rt''Vi'*T m ltAS? & t 




Piate 20. 

Everywhere the writer feared that some one would add to his writing. 
See how he has filled out each line. These short dashes between words 
and at the end of lines are mentioned in our opening " talk." They 
always denote prudence, and, if used in great profusion, a suspicious 
nature. 

17. Instincts. — Timidity, Constraint. 

The graphic sign of timidity and constraint is the absence of all 
free, bold strokes, with the accompanying sign, a broken, hesitating 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 59 

movement of the pen when it traces curves. Constraint is also shown 
when the stems of capital letters press closely against each other, mak- 
ing the letters appear cramped. A man at his ease spreads his capi- 
tals comfortably. Compare the following Plates : — 

J.IJJ 

' t * ' 

Plates 30, 31. 

Under this heading come fear, cowardice, alarm, and even over- 
whelming terror. 

All of these negative signs can, by practice, be determined. Men of 
firmness, courage, and absolute fearlessness, have in their writing firm, 
clear, hard strokes. Generally their writing runs upward from left to 
right. Plate 32 gives the hand of a courageous woman. Compare it 



60 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

with Plate 33. The absence of all the graphic signs of courage and 
energy constitutes, naturally, the sign of fear. 



iflrtWQ&S 



Plate 32. 



L*_* *cCs 



4-*~£-^lyi a-^zr-^J- -^~~t \ . 



Plate 33. 



III. Nature. — Egotism. 
We reach now personality, — conscious personality ; what Lavater 
calls "the dear ME." Egotism is the sense of self, of personality. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 61 

There are two species of human affection. There is the affection 
that gives out warmth and comfort to all who come within its reach, a 
love through which one forgets one's self in the love for another. 

On the other hand, there is the personal, jealous love, that loves for 
itself ; that thinks for itself in its love of others ; that loves them for the 
happiness to be gotten out of them ; for the sake of the pride that 
would accrue from the possession of them. A study of the handwriting 
of egotists leads us to the conclusion that they are fond of a pen 
motion by which they return the stroke backward and inward, and thus 
form a curve that we call the " egotistic curl." Notice the capitals in 
Plate 34. 

In Miss you see an M that betokens an entire absence of egotism. 
It shows all that one letter can show of simplicity, generosity, dignity, 
and benevolence. It is not even separated from the i that follows it. 
The hand did not pose, nor pause to think of a " fetching " capital. It 
simply made the letter. Number 2 gracefully comes back to itself, 



62 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

somewhat. It may be merely from a sense of artistic beauty, a lack 
of originality, and the habit of following models. It shows egotism 
slightly, but so slightly that one can readily forgive it for the sake of 

~S^*>, ^ cJ&, cA> 



% 
f 




grace and curve. Number 3 is more marked ; the pen goes back, and 
even crosses its own line. 4 and 5 have two curls, one at the beginning, 
and another at the end. 6 shows excessive egotism, and a certain 
vulgarity ; see how fine the pen was, and yet how heavy and as 
though swollen the last curve is. The owner of number 6 may love, 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 63 

but he will love for himself ; he may be generous under the influence 
that attacks his own personality, but if you desire assistance in a good 
secret cause, go tell your story to the owner of number 1. 

There is still another sign of egotism, exemplified in the following 
Plate : — 



C £ t£ J 



/ 



£££■£- 



Plate 35. 



Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are letters not in the least egotistic. Number 
4 has a very slight " curl," but notice 5, 6, 7, and 8, In the latter the 



64 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

curve of the whole letter, instead of being full and round, has an inward 
bend. Compare 6, 7, and 8 with 1, and the slight convexity is plain to 
see. That convexity is a sign of egotism. Turn back to Plate 26 : 
notice the capital JEJ, the angles, the convex lower part, the flat a, the 
capital (7, the " egotistic curl " in an angle. The contrast is strongly 
marked. 

III. Nature. — Pettiness. 

Small, narrow, light natures lose themselves in tiny, unimportant 
details. They occupy themselves seriously with petty matters, and 
attach great value to them. The graphic sign of a small nature is the 
" common " form of all capitals, their inharmonious outlines, the lack 
of height in the writing. Also, importance given to minute details that 
natures of elevated sentiment would disdain to stop for. Fussy, trivial 
men take great pains with their penmanship : i's and /s will all be 
carefully dotted ; commas will never be omitted. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 65 

III. Nature. — Nobility. 
Nobility has for its graphic sign high, clear writing, a signature 
absolutely without flourish, or accompanied only by a single rapid 
stroke, sometimes detached from the signature itself. Orthographic 
details will not be labored over ; the writing will be spread largely in 
the lines. Letters and words never will be cramped, and inharmonious 
capitals will be absent. 

Ill Nature. — Pride. 

Pride is the great misery of the human soul. It is born, however, 
of a true and right sentiment, — self-respect, which is a law of nature. 
It is then base only when it becomes mere vanity. " There are," says 
Michon, u men too proud to be vain." When one devotes himself to 
humanity, to his country, to science, to truth, — and that to the peril of 
his life, sacrificing all the pleasures that attract less lofty souls, — the 
nature is elevated and proud. Pride is not culpable when it is but the 



66 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

satisfaction felt in doing well. It is wrong only when it becomes a 




Plate 36. 

personal and egotistic sentiment, that makes a man consider all other 
men as his inferiors. The essence of pride is the preference for one's self 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 67 

beyond all others; it is vanity. A vain person is full of admiration for 
his own merit, like the " self-made man who adored his maker." 

Physiologists have remarked that pride causes a certain extension 
of the fibres of the body. " Puffed up with pride," we say. The step 
is assured, the manner pompous, the head held high. Handwriting 
naturally follows the physiological movement. The letters spread 
themselves excessively. They are very high. The capital M 9 s, when 
composed of three parts, have the first up and down stroke several times 
the height of the other, two. All the vertical letters mount high like a 
rubber plant standing half in shade, its top high in the air seeking the 
sunshine. See Plate 36. 

Of course the sign of humility and modesty is the absence of these 
above-mentioned signs; i. e., small capitals, and M's with spires of equal 
height. Occasionally one finds the capitals made by enlarging small 
ones. Such a sign betokens great simplicity and modesty of nature. 
See Plate 37. 



68 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

III. Nature. — Enthusiasm, Imagination. 

The graphic signs of enthusiasm and imagination are marked. 
Every movement of the pen outside of quiet, simple, and regular forms 
of letters shows an exalted state of the soul. It may be enthusiasm, it 



to? 



Plate 37. 



may be imagination. Enthusiasts usually write with much sweep of 
movement, long exclamanation points, many of them, also long inter- 
rogation marks. Imaginative people see everything through a prism 
that shows them the world other than it is. In speaking here of imagi- 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



69 



nation, we do not mean the faculty of producing images, of story-telling. 
This gift has other graphic signs under the head of originality. The 
imagination to which we refer is an ill-ordered movement of the brain 




Plate 38. 



mounting from feeble disorder to almost incredible eccentricity. It is. 
of course, the intensity of the sign that shows the degree of brain dis- 
order. We give in Plate 38 the Duke of Brunswick's signature, who 
made the city of Geneva his heir. 



70 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

III. Nature. — Ardor. 

It is very evident that active, ardent, spirited natures will not write 
like lazy, inactive, and nonchalant ones. The graphic signs of ardor are 
quick, brusque movements, cross-strokes dashed off by the pen ; writ- 
ing absolutely unstudied, in which the spirit does not trouble itself about 
making readable words, the lines rather ascending than horizontal. 
Almost always the signs of sensitivity and impressionability will be 
found in these hands. Ardent people are sensitive. Long crossings to 
tfs, with an upward movement, denote ardor and vivacity. 

III. Nature. — Courage. 

The graphic sign of courage is complex. Look for firmness of will, 
as signs have been given. The writing of firm, energetic, courageous 
natures usually ascends. The signs of discouragement and sadness are 
the reverse. In these cases lines all run downward, sometimes not only 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



71 



iCU/O 



the lines running downward, but words in lines as well. We have be- 
fore us a letter just received from a -sad-hearted, depressed, hopeless 

/yvu/tt. m$y A^MmUl 

1 &UA& 




Plate 39. 



young girl. The lines on each page are at least a half-inch farther 
from the top on the right side of the sheet than on the left. The hand 
seems not to have courage to keep on the level. 



72 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

III. Nature. — Candor, Honesty. 

Openness of soul, sincerity, ingenuousness, and trust are graphically 
shown in an interesting way. The sign is the equal height of letters 
forming the same word, and often by the increased size of these letters. 
Plate 39 shows the writing of a very frank little boy. 

Notice the shape of the word museum. Here is the same sign in 
the hand of a grown person : — 

oJr C>_ \j^nrJU XAJ^kJUYL ^^-€^-i^v 

Plate 40. n 

Dissimulation, on the contrary, together with ruse, finesse, im- 
penetrability, and untruth are logically shown by a graphic sign the 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 73 



reverse of the one given above. In Plate 41 you see an entirely untrust- 
worthy hand : — 

y*w 6*»~ ™*^> & <&L^ y*~ 



Plate 41. 

Add to these tapering words the fact that all the as o's and gs are 
tightly closed and buckled at the top (see the little tied knot at the top 
of each), and we have clearly indicated a nature that never betrays its 
own thoughts, and will not be displeased at the idea of prevarication. 
In other words, a man whose writing should contain these signs would 
not hesitate to tell a falsehood if it should appear politic to him to do 
so. Open natures often make ys in place of </'s and us for a's. One 
may be impenetrable, and yet not stoop to tell a lie. In such a case 



74 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 



tapering words may be found in his writing, but his as and o's will 
not be closed. If in any writing the following signs should be found, 
the nature they represent would be utterly false and deceitful. These 
signs are sinuous lines moving in a series of minute waves across the 
page, tapering words, and all as and o's tightly closed and tied up. 

III. Nature. — Spirituality, Purity of Soul. 

Denoting these characteristics, letters are lightly formed. The pen 
does not bear down on the paper. See Plate 42 : — 




Plate 42. 




DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 75 

Sensuality, on the contrary, is shown in heavy writing; stems 
swollen in the middle, periods heavy and thick. See Plate 43 : — 

Plate 43. 

In considering this sign, notice carefully whether the pen was a coarse 
one. A broad mark is not always a sign of sensuality, indeed, never, 
unless the pen used, though fine, has made heavy, corpulent stems. 

III. Nature. — Constancy, Devotion, Inflexibility of Purpose. 
For these traits look for the signs, as before given, of firmness, 
tenacity, and perseverance. Constant natures have a writing as straight 



76 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

as though on ruled lines. The writing will also show the slanting sign 
of affection and tenderness. 

III. Nature. — Versatility, Mobility. 

The graphic signs of these traits are letters perpetually varying in 
height, and the absence of "crooks" and all signs of rigidity. In one 
line the same capital will sometimes be found made several times in 
diverse forms. 

III. Nature. — -Self-Respect, Nobility of Soul. 

A high, clear hand, without signs of suspicion, conceit, or dissimula- 
tion, gives proof of an elevated nature. 

Ill Nature. — Disorder, Carelessness of Detail, Thoughtlessness. 

The signs representing these traits are : /'s not dotted, or dotted out 
of position, lack of punctuation, illegibility. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



77 



III. Nature. — Pose, Vanity. 
The graphic signs of pose, conceit, and vanity are : all flourishes that 
mar the simplicity of letters, all superfluities. Young girls often 
inscribe a flourish after their signatures, as in Plate- 44. This sign 





Plate 44. 



denotes an innocent love of admiration, — coquetry. Men often end 
their signatures with flourishes, as in Plate 45, and those who do are 
fond of approbation, and believe that they merit it. 

Do not confound this sign with that of imagination and originality. 



78 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

The student will soon be able to discriminate between little silly curves, 




Plate 45. * 

pen " embellishments," and bizarre eccentricities that denote originality, 
and often genius. 

III. Nature. — Vulgarity. 
The graphic sign of vulgarity is an absolute lack of harmony in all 
letters, — gross capitals, heavy strokes. See Plate 46. 

IV. Character. — Originality. 
Odd, original characters have odd, original handwritings. Men and 
women of this type soon forget all about calligraphy, and employ 
curious, eccentric forms. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 79 

V. Spirit. — Sagacity. 

The graphic sign of nice judgment, a clear mind, and lucidity of 
spirit, is found in the clear spacing of each word, — spaces between 
words, and above and below them. Compare Plates 47 and 48. 




on^ y^ju^^e^ f 



-1AA*CC-* 



^J&L, ! KA*rbc~f— 



Plate 46. 



V. Spirit. — Frivolity, Triviality. 

These traits are shown in the absence of uniformity, regularity, 
order ; writing generally rapid, and profuse flourishes. Compare Plates 
48 and 49. 



80 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 




Plate 47. 



Ocs-z^C£. 



^Z^ ■ 




Plate 48. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



81 




Plate 49. 



82 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

V. Spirit. — Fine Feeling, Delicacy. 

These traits are shown in graceful, harmonious letters, especially 
capitals. 

VII Tastes. — Aristocratic, Refined Tastes. — Pride of Birth, Taste for 

a Brilliant Mode of Life. 

This graphic sign is a curious one. Sometimes social ambitions, 
and a desire to excel others in wit and good breeding, as well as 
station in life, are found in generous, high, pure natures. Notice the 
If s in Plate 50 ; the first pinnacle is twice the height of those following. 
This sign, added to the " egotistic curl," denotes a haughty nature : 
" I think Myself better than you are." But when the " egotistic curl " 
is wholly absent, as in the Plate, the sign is merely an indication of 
great self-respect, a consciousness of superiority, without weak vanity, 
and a taste for brilliant associations. 



DISSECTION AND ANALYSIS 



83 



VIII. Passioiis. 

There are, of course, good as well as bad passions. Any vice or 
virtue carried to excess may become a passion. Take, for instance, 




Plate 50. 



generosity ; what more noble sentiment ? Carry it to excess, till it 
becomes a passion, and you have prodigious folly. There are men so 



84 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

prodigal that, although sane in other ways, their friends have been 
obliged to place them under restraint. 

So with all other passions. All writing where graphic signs are 
multiplied excessively, shows an instinct or characteristic of the soul 
pushed till it has grown to be a passion. When pride, for instance, is 
at its strongest, all capitals are superlatively tall and spread : the M' s 
will show the first pinnacle almost ridiculously above those following 
it. Ambition become a passion is shown in lines ascending so high 
that on each page of manuscript the writing seems to be run diagonally, 
from corner to corner. And so on. The rule never varies : graphic 
signs of any characteristic, if multiplied to excess, invariably denote 
that characteristic to be a passion. 



ANALYSIS OF A LETTER 85 



CHAPTER V 

ANALYSIS OF A LETTER 

After having carefully studied the preceding chapters, the reader 
will gain much by following us as we analyze the letter given in Plate 
51. 

Notice, first, the lines. They ascend on the opening page ; and from 
that fact we may safely conclude that the writer is not suffering, melan- 
choly, or depressed, but, on the contrary, in good spirits. On the page 
that follows, the lines are more nearly horizontal, though they do not 
descend. The sign, then, is not repeated ; and from that fact we may 
argue a pleasant, quiet " frame of mind." If we had more specimens to 
judge from, all with ascending lines, we might detect great ambition ; 



86 



TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 




</ j/U^> Xf^^ 




^^ 



<A- 



^^t^ 



/*{^^-4Z^-^*~~~^ 






ANALYSIS OF A LETTER 



87 



cy^^c y< 




88 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

but in this letter, only, we do not find tokens of it. See how straight 
the lines are, almost as straight as though ruled. That sign gives us 
perseverance. Notice the strength of will in the y in Friday, the 
strong swift crossings of all the t's, the y in truly, and that firm cross- 
stroke with a tiny hook at the end, betokening tenacity. That same 
sign of tenacity might denote avarice if there were nothing to con- 
tradict it ; but there is. Notice the generous " finals," and the clear 
spaces between words. There is then indicated tenacity of purpose, 
only, with strong will and perseverance. Further, see the slant of the 
hand, the quick dashing crosses to the t's, the high interrogation mark. 
That is ardor, susceptibility, sensitivity, and a capability for strong 
emotion that might lead the owner into folly, if it were not for other 
signs that show Mr. Langdon to be quite capable of taking care of him- 
self. See the clear spacing of words, plenty of room between them, 
as well as above and below, : — a sign of clearness of intellect and mind. 
Notice that not once in the entire note does the stem of a letter on one 



ANALYSIS OF A LETTER 89 

line interfere with or cross any part of any letter in another line. The 
imagination, then, never bewilders judgment. With the other sign 
given, then, of ardor, affection and susceptibility, are protecting ones ; 
i. e., a clear mind, good judgment, and strong will, which means also 
self-control. We may conclude, therefore, that Mr. Langdon is quite 
capable of looking after his own affairs. 

Our friend plainly belongs to the class of men who reason logically, 
not forming their conclusions intuitively. Hardly throughout the 
whole billet are there to be found two disconnected letters in any one 
word. Quite the contrary. Notice the o'clock, the " yours very truly," 
as well as the signature. The sign is a marked one. The writing is 
certainly the outcome of a decidedly logical mind. 

Look now at the shape of the words. There is considerable diplo- 
matic ability here, also tact and finesse. Notice the shape of you, how 
it tapers at the end. Notice the and and the can on the second page. 
Yet the lines are straight, all final letters perfectly readable, also ; in 



90 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

many cases the o's and as are wide open. The writer, then, will never 
be false, or state what is not true. See the o's in Monicos, promise, 
clock, and the a in can, also the two a"s in the signature. Hence, we 
have tact, some diplomatic gift, a certain degree of reserve and reti- 
cence, but at points, great candor and frankness ; see the shape of join, 
and truly, in the signature. There are singularly few signs of egotism 
in this note. See how simply the m's are joined to the letter that follows 
them. Also the capital 6r's and E's. The curves are full, and the little 

hook at the beginning of the .M's we should think denoted more te- 
cs © 

nacity, than egotism. The capitals are nearly all very modest, and the 
fact that some of them are merely enlarged " small " letters, as are the 
-M's, and the T in "yours very truly," shows simplicity of taste and 
nature. Versatility, and adaptability to his surroundings, whatever they 
might happen to be, are clearly indicated by the varying heights of 
letters. Notice the M and the R in the first line ; but there are no 
signs of conceit. The flourishes are not made for the sake of orna- 



ANALYSIS OF A LETTER 91 

mentation, but are plainly just a free dash of the pen, showing gener- 
osity, ease, vivacity, enthusiasm, and a benevolent nature. 

The long terminals on some of the y's show considerable imagina- 
tion, but not at all to an excessive degree. Mr. Langdon's imagination 



a*-. 07a*& 




I iS^^L ( ^~ *^r*^ 



Plate 52. 

never influences his judgment. Finals never conflict between the lines. 
He has evidently a strong love for what is beautiful. See the harmony 
of letters, and the pretty R in Robinson. We have often remarked 
that when i£'s and M's and (7's curve below the line, as in Plate 52, the 
sign is that of artistic feeling. 



92 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

Mr. Langdon must have a sweet disposition, for his hand is full of 
curves ; nearly all of his ris are w's, so deeply does he dislike sharp 
angles. He is a careful man : notice the dotting of the i's, the j, and 
the right punctuation. Yet he is not in the least suspicious, or even 
extremely prudent or guarded, for not one short dash is to be found. 
The signature is not followed even by a period ; this omission showing a 
trusting nature. There is no flourish beneath it ; if there were, it would 
denote love of admiration and approbation. 

Men usually write more heavily than women, and for a man this is 
an unusually spiritual hand. There is no heavy bearing down, there 
are no vulgar, swollen stems. Evidently the spiritual rather than the 
material nature governs the being. Where there are heavy dowm- 
strokes, as in the last y on the second page, the sign is merely that of a 
strong will, and even that not a tyrannical one, for see how low down 
the £s are crossed. There is ardor, vivacity, vehemence, and will-power 
in those cross-strokes, but with their low position and so much curve 
never despotism. 



ANALYSIS OF A LETTER 



93 



We could go much farther with this letter, combining, comparing, 
and arguing new qualities from negative signs, but having mentioned 
the more easily remarked graphic signs, let us recapitulate, and see if 
we have not pretty clearly dissected the spiritual man. 

We have found in this letter : — 



Hopefulness. 

Good Spirits. 

Perseverance. 

Strength of Will. 

Tenacity of Purpose. 

Great Generosity. 

Ardor. 

Susceptibility. 

Sensitivity. 

Capability for Strong Emotions, 
with Tenacity, which gives 
the Complex Sign of Power 
of Devotion to a Cause or 
Person. 

Clearness of Intellect. 



Judgment not influenced by Im- 
agination. 
Imagination. 
Affectionate Disposition. 
Modesty. 
Versatility. 
Adaptability. 
No Conceit. 
Savoir-faire, Poise. 
Refinement. 
Love of the Beautiful. 
No Despotism. 
No Vanity. 
A Logical Mind. 
Little Intuition. 



94 TALKS ON GRAPHOLOGY 

Diplomatic Gift. Little Egotism. 

Reticence. Enthusiasm. 

Tact. Benevolence. 

Finesse. Sweetness of Disposition. 

Truthfulness. Carefulness of Detail. 

Honesty. Trustful not Suspicious Nature. 

Candor, at Times. Spirituality. 

With this study we close, for the present, our talks on graphology. 
At some future time we may enter into the subject more fully, if not 
more carefully. 

Whatever is not clear to the general reader in these analyses we 
regret. We are sure, however, that any student of human nature who 
will faithfully follow these graphic signs, studying with a magnifying 
glass, first his own handwriting, then, in the new light, that of his 
friends, will be amply rewarded for his trouble by the curiously interest- 
ing discoveries he will make, and the helpful suggestions that will 
come to him in the more perfect knowledge of himself, — his faults, and 
his virtues. 



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